Invasion
by Triangulum
Summary: Now he was burning me alive, willing me to die. And I wholeheartedly agreed with him." Teyla's mind is assaulted by a powerful Wraith. The invasion of her mind is only the beginning. Ronon/Teyla.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N So I was writing my piece for SAWS (Spanky-A-Week-Summer!) but this became entirely too dark for what I wanted to do with that, so I'm posting it now instead and using something else for later. Enjoy.**

I screamed, one long, ragged sound after another. I'd screamed in pain before, but nothing like this. This was fiery, searing agony, as if my skin was being shredded. Muscle melting, bone shrinking agony. I could hear the voices around me, but I didn't have the presence of mind to be able to differentiate one from the other. I only knew the voice belonging to the person I needed was absent. I shrieked, thrashing on the gurney, unable to keep still.

"Hold her down!"

"Blood pressure is way too high!"

"Brain waves erratic!"

There were way too many people around me, too many doctors. That was not good. The pain had finally reached the level where it consumed all of my energy, there was nothing left in me to even scream. I just lay there and waited for it to take me, I was ready. Anything to stop the pure pain rushing through me.

I felt the Wraith inside my mind. At first it had been gentle, trying to coax me with gentle lies and promises. I had seen past the lies and tried to force him out, like I had to the other Wraith who had tried to posses me. If I had thought that those victories meant I was strong, I had been a fool.

This Wraith crashed into me, into my mind with an unbelievable strength. His ship has only been relatively near our puddle jumper but he had felt me and for some reason, tried to take me. His assault into my very core had thrown me to the ground, spasming. The team I'd been loaned to brought me back to Atlantis but the space didn't seem to matter. He was inside me now. Toying with me at first. Not now. Now he was burning me alive, willing me to die. And I wholeheartedly agreed. I should die. Anything to make this stop. I felt myself slipping slowly away, felt the peace.

"Teyla!" a gruff voice broke through the white noise flowing around me, the static created by the Wraith. It was the voice of the man I loved. I needed to not slip. It took me three times to sat his name, as if my throat was not working anymore.

"Ronon," I rasped out.

"Teyla," he said my name again desperately, grabbing my hand. His touch helped me push back the Wraith and cleared my head slightly. I did not want to die anymore.

The Wraith collected his strength and slammed into me again. It arched my back as I convulsed. Of course I wanted to die, what was the point of being alive if this was all there was? There seemed like there should be something else here, besides this pain…something…

"Teyla!" Ronon's frantic voice punctured the Wraith's haze again. Ronon was the solution, he could help me push back the Wraith. I did not understand why he effected me that way, but I wanted to use it.

"Help me," I whispered, drawing him closer. He leaned over me, his hands on my forearms. The physical contact helped ground me in my skin, remember I am real. I found where the Wraith was latched on in my mind. I felt his frantic desperation to cling inside of me. He screamed "NO!" and thrust more power into me.

There was nothing left. Nothing but the white noise and white abyss. Nothing mattered, because nothing else was real. I wasn't real. I was just here. He coaxed me to let go, to die. I said yes. Death had to be better than this. I started to slowly let go readying myself for the end.

Ronon's lips on mine jerked me back to my body. He pressed his mouth to mine so fiercely, everything froze. I felt the Wraith hesitate, confused. I used that moment of hesitation and thrust down that invisible line connecting us, thrust all the power and energy I had into him. I had a confused image of his flying back in the cockpit of a ship and crumpling to the ground before the connection severed and he was gone.

Ronon's mouth left mine as I fought to relearn how to breathe. He leaned closer and wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his neck and inhaled the smell of him. The sent was pure Ronon, the scent that to me, now meant home. I wrapped myself in that, basked in the safety. I do not know why the Wraith was unable to take me when Ronon was there, but it didn't matter why. It had happened, and even if I had been willing to part with Ronon, I knew no forced, not even the ancestors, could make him leave my side now.

"Ronon," I muttered, fighting against the sleep trying to drag me under.

"I know," he said, taking my face in both of his hands. "You're exhausted. Sleep, I'll be here."

"I know," I said as I drifted into sleep. "I love you."

"You know I love you, too."

I woke many hours later to the darkened infirmary, Ronon laying against me on the small hospital bed. As if he'd heard the change in my breathing, his arms wrapped around me tighter.

"Hey," he said.

"Ronon," I answered, my voice still raspy.

"Have some water," he said, handing me a little plastic cup.

"Don't do that to me again," he demanded. He stroked my hair and leaned until his forehead touched mine.

"I will do my best," I whispered back. My voice was slightly clearer.

"The doc said your vitals are strong and you'll be fine as long as he doesn't try again. They think he doesn't need proximity to retain the connection, but he has to be close to start it," he said, still stroking my hair.

"So as long as he doesn't come here, I should be safe?" I asked. Ronon nodded. My eyes closed slowly and I forced them open.

"Sleep, Teyla," he said. "Just sleep, get your strength back."

I drifted to sleep, held by Ronon. Right before I was unconscious, I heard Ronon speak. "I'll take his heart for you. I will make you safe."

**TBC? Maybe? Opinions?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So I've decided to keep going, read and review please.**

Carson insisted on keeping me in the infirmary for the next few days, though I promised him I was fine. I was still exhausted from the Wraith's excursion into my mind, but physically I was no longer in any pain. Ronon wasn't much help, he agreed with Carson, and forcibly kept me in my bed.

"What happened to my friend who used to help me hide from bed rest," I muttered on the third day, annoyed. Ronon just smiled. He had been at my bedside for more or less the entire time I'd been here. He'd left for an hour or so in search of what he called real food, not 'this hospital junk'.

The night when the Wraith had attacked me and I had woken in the circle of his arms had been the most comforting and surprisingly right thing I could remember. I felt safe with him, despite my annoyance at his insistence to protect me. However, we had not been as close since that night and I was more than slightly confused. It was as if he realized what he was doing and pulled very far away from me.

Our friendship had always been close, being the only two outsiders in the city with the people from earth had seen to that. There was a point in time where he and John had seemed to have a silent battle about who cared about me more. It was vaguely ridiculous, a fact that they finally realized and therefore stopped.

I sighed as I walked through the halls of Atlantis. It was the first day I had been able to walk without Ronon hovering behind me, as if he expected me to fall over dead at any moment. I winced as the sudden sound in my radio blasted, louder than I had intended.

"Teyla, you doin' all right?" John's voice blasted. I adjusted the volume before answering.

"_Yes,_ John," I said for what felt like easily the tenth time that day. "Really, I am fine. Dr. Beckett would not have let me go otherwise."

"All right, well let me know if you need anything," his voice came.

"You and the rest of the city," I muttered. I heard a gruff laugh behind me and turned. "Ronon, would you please make some noise when you move?" He laughed again, falling into step with me.

"So you're cleared for active duty?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. I am scheduled to accompany you and the rest of our team on the mission today," I responded, bracing myself for his protests.

"Today?" he asked slowly.

"That is correct," I said, still walking.

"Well today we're visiting a peaceful planet, low technology, not much danger…" he said considering. I rolled my eyes.

"I am able to function just fine Ronon," I said. My tone of voice betrayed my annoyance, because he raised his hands.

"It's fine, I know that," he said.

I rolled my eyes again and kept walking. He was next to me, walking in sync as we normally did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let's go kids!" John yelled, ushering McKay, Ronon and myself through the gate. He waved merrily to Dr. Weir as we walked through the gate. Ronon and I exchanged a grin. Dr. Weir and John's flirting always amused us, since neither of them seemed to notice.

We made it quickly to the village, it wasn't far from the stargate. The villagers greeted us as they normally did and the visit proceeded quickly. Niceties were exchanged and as soon as we finished all the necessary talks, we all headed back to Atlantis. We were almost to the gate when it happened again.

I screamed and fell, the ground swimming up to my face. I was vaguely aware of Ronon's arms around my waist, catching me before I could injure myself before I passed into unconsciousness.

**Thank you fyd818, for your reviews and support!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Feeling the inspiration bug. I'm beta reading now by the way, let me know if you're interested.**

I heard hushed voices around me, and a beeping sound. I groaned. I was back in the infirmary. Again. This was getting to be a disturbing habit. At least it was not as bad as last time, no one was shouting and I was not in pain. Well, I was not in too much pain.

I heard Ronon's deep breathing next to me. Yes, I know him by the sound of his breathing. It is familiar and soothing. I opened my eyes to see him in the chair next to my hospital bed, talking quietly to Carson and John.

"What happened?" John asked.

"I can't be sure," Carson answered. "But we think somehow when he attacked her last, he left something behind?"

"Like what?" Ronon's voice came.

"Like a tumor?" John asked.

"Maybe," Carson answered, but he sounded doubtful. "I was thinking more like a virus."

"A virus…" John said slowly. "Like a disease?"

"More like a computer virus. I think there is something in her mind that whenever she gets too close to something, it causes her immense pain and incapacitates her," Carson explained.

"When she gets too close to what?" Ronon asked.

"Do you remember when we first met Teyla, Colonel? How that necklace had a transmitter in it and whenever we went on a certain planet that had a receiver?" Carson asked.

"Yes…" John said slowly.

"I think it works like that. It's like there is a transmitter in her mind and if there is a receiver on the planet, it will cause her immense pain and is probably designed to incapacitate her. So if she is not conscious, the Wraith can come and take her," Carson said.

"Well why did it only start to hurt her when we were leaving?" Ronon asked. A question I was wondering about myself.

"I think it alerts the Wraith when she walks through the gate, then once she gets close again, it kicks in to hurt her," Carson said.

Silence from my teammates now.

"What about the village?" I asked. They all jumped, apparently they did not know I had woken up.

"What do you mean?" Carson asked.

"The village," Ronon groaned. "If the thing in her sent out something to the Wraith saying she was on that planet, then the people might be in danger."

"We gotta warn them, come on, let's go," John said, ushering Ronon out of the room. "We'll be back, heal, Teyla!" John yelled as he ran out of the room.

Carson looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry love, I'm not sure what to tell you, but we're going to scan you in an hour to see if there is a mass anywhere."

I nodded. "Thank you, Carson." Elizabeth walked in then, and Carson told her exactly what he thought was happening.

"Yes, Sheppard mentioned something. He, Ronon and Lorne's team are heading back to the planet to warn the people and help with evacuation, if necessary," Elizabeth said. She then turned her attention to me. "How are you feeling, Teyla?"

"I am fine now. The pain is no longer present, though my head does feel slightly…fuzzy," I admitted.

"Carson, is she on any medication?"

"No, I didn't want to give her something just in case there is a tumor and it reacts badly," Carson said. "Just rest love, we'll tell you when the others get back."

I sighed and closed my eyes, attempting to meditate into a place where I could sleep peacefully. It must have worked, because I was suddenly in the middle of a very realistic dream involving a forest, Ronon, and a very large purple animal. As soon as I realized it was a dream, it shattered and I was awake in the infirmary.

"Hey," Ronon said next to me. I smiled slightly.

"Hello Ronon," I answered. "What happened with the villagers?" Ronon sighed and looked away. "Ronon what are you not telling me?"

"We went back…and the village is gone."

"What do you mean gone?" I asked. "Are you sure you got the right planet?"

"Yes, Teyla," Ronon said, sighing. "The Wraith came, there's nothing left. Sheppard wants you to see the pictures of the village, just in case you see something we don't." He said the last part of his sentence angrily, as if he did not agree with John.

"All right," I said, sighing. Ronon hesitated, looking at me.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes Ronon, just show me," I said sighing. He nodded, taking me at my word. He pulled up a laptop and handed it to me. I set it on my legs, scrolling through the pictures. I sucked in a breath of air when a picture showed a flattened home, with a dead child on the ground. Ronon's hand twitched next to mine at the sound of my gasp. The next picture, a bloody baby, stole all my breath and nearly made my heart stop. I grabbed Ronon's hand at the same time he reached for mine. Tears pricked at my eyes and I slammed the laptop closed.

"Teyla…"

"This is my fault," I said. My voice sounded strangely thick.

"Teyla don't do this to yourself," Ronon said. I bit back a slightly hysterical laugh. He was the one who blamed himself for the damage that occurred when he was a Runner, yet he tells me not to blame myself?

"Teyla," Ronon said, his voice slightly panicked. "Teyla, you need to relax. Just breathe."

"Breathe?!" I said, my hysteria was growing. "If I had not been there, these children, these people would not have died!"

"And that is the Wraith, you know that! If it wasn't you, it'd be someone else," Ronon tried to convince me.

"But it was me!" I all but shrieked. "I brought this down on them." Ronon took my face between his strong hands and forced me to look him in the eyes.

"Teyla," he said. "Teyla, Teyla, Teyla." His deep voice calmed me slightly until I was ready to listen to him. "We will find this Wraith. We still stop him."

"I know," I answered. "I'm just wondering how many more children will die until it happens."

**Thank you reviewers, AthosionWarrior and fyd818!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry it's been so long. Real life took over and kicked me in the face. Anyways, here ya go.**

Amazingly, I was only trapped in the hospital wing for a week this time. After Carson ran out of reasons to hold me, he reluctantly released me. That, of course, did not mean I was free. Ronon was with me for practically every hour of the day. Normally I find this to be a very calming event, but not recently. Every time I was quiet for what he deemed to be too long of a time, he would jump up and come to me, asking if I am all right.

"Ronon, I am _fine,_" I said for what was the latest in a long line of questions about my wellbeing. "I appreciate that you are concerned, but it is unnecessary. I promise you that I will tell you if something is wrong. I am just thinking."

"Teyla," Ronon said, leaning over the cafeteria table that separated us. "I won't lose you."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Ronon, I am fine. And you are a very observant man, I am sure that if something goes wrong, you will be the first to notice." Ronon just sighed and went back to his food. I looked back down to mine, and luckily, Ronon did not try to force conversation. We sat in an easy silence until John bounded up to us and sat next to me.

"Hey guys," he said. He tried to sneakily look at me from the corner of his eye. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes John?" I asked. "Is there something in my teeth?"

"I, uh, just wondering how you are," John rambled off lamely.

"I am fine," I said through gritted teeth. I stood with my tray. "I am going to my room. No," I said when Ronon made a move to stand. "I will call if I need you."

"And if you're passed out on the floor?" Ronon asked.

"I will check in every hour," I said, exasperated. "I do not require babysitting." I turned on my heel and left. I walked quickly to my room and sat on my bed. I felt bad for snapping at Ronon and John, but I was getting frustrated. There was no end in sight to the constant babying I was receiving. I groaned and fell back onto the bed, feeling sleep tugging at my mind.

_I whirled around, confused. I could not remember ever being to this planet before, so I was not sure why I was suddenly there now. I heard a hiss and I turned. It was the Wraith, the Wraith that for some reason wanted my death. I froze, suddenly too frightened to move. He was coming closer, and I still couldn't move. The klaxons in the distance startled me into shaking myself clear. Klaxons?_

"_I'll get you next time," he promised, as the dream faded._

I sat up straight in bed, covered in sweat. I took a few uneven breaths, then realized the alarm was from my ear. My ear? Oh, my earpiece. The sound of alarms was mixed with voices. I managed to pick out John's, telling me something about the stargate. I couldn't hear right because of all the noise in the background.

"I will be there as soon as I can," I said. I jumped out of bed and started running down the halls. Ronon met up with me halfway there and we both ran in silence to the control room. The klaxons were loud enough that John and Elizabeth didn't hear us until we were already next to them.

"Can we cut the sirens please?" Elizabeth yelled, when we appeared next to her. The next second it was silent.

"What is happening?" I asked.

"Are you feeling well enough to-"

"Elizabeth, I am fine!" I nearly yelled. She appraised me for a moment, a bit taken aback, before nodding.

"There is an unauthorized off world activation. Nothing's been sent through the wormhole, for now. It's just connected, we don't know what they want," she said.

"There's a transmission!" Rodney said suddenly.

"Put it through," Elizabeth ordered immediately.

"Audio only," Rodney said.

"I know you are there," a hissing voice came. I froze. It was the voice from my dream. The voice of the Wraith. The Wraith that wanted me dead.

"Shit," Ronon said, taking in the look on my face. He has picked up entirely too many words from John.

"Now, let's discuss the terms on your female's life."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I don't even have any excuses, I don't know why this has taken so long.**

"We do not negotiate," Elizabeth said immediately.

"You will," the Wraith's voice promised. I shuddered as the Wraith brushed my mind with his. "She can feel me. Knows what I can do. I can rip her apart in a second."

It was true. This close, he could kill me in a mere second.

"Teyla?" Elizabeth asked. I nodded.

"What do you want?" John asked.

"Earth's location," the Wraith said immediately.

"No," Elizabeth answered just as quickly.

"Then the female," the Wraith countered promptly. He knew that Elizabeth would never give up Earth.

"Why?" she asked.

"She intrigues me," the Wraith said lazily. "I've grown very bored. It is rare for something to interest me this much."

"No," Elizabeth repeated.

"Well how about this," the Wraith said, his voice dangerously cheerful. "You will hand me over the female or I will destroy your fair city. Before you test me, Dr. Weir, know that I do have the capability, I am not bluffing."

And I believed him, I truly believed that he would annihilate us.

"You have one hour."

Everyone stared at me as the transmission cut off.

"We aren't giving Teyla to him," Ronon said immediately.

"Of course not," John snapped.

"Come to my office, now," Elizabeth said, ushering everyone.

"We aren't handing over Teyla," she answered. "But what we need now is a plan. Can we destroy his ship?"

"We don't have many drones left," Rodney reasoned. "I suppose it would be possible if…"

_Teyla,_ the Wraith's voice whispered through me. _You know they will fail, you know they will die in an attempt to save you._

I tried to block him, I called on every meditation technique I've ever used, every method I could imagine, but he easily flowed through me. I suspected it was because he was feeding on thoughts and doubts I already had. You cannot shut out your own thoughts.

_Do you want them alive?_

_Of course I do, _I thought, not sure if he could hear me.

_If you wish for me to resist destroying them, you will follow my instructions. Excuse yourself._

I stood and moved to the door.

"Teyla?" Elizabeth called.

"I just need a moment," I promised. Ronon moved to follow me, a concerned look on his face. "I just need to be alone, Ronon. I am fine." He nodded, still looking worried. My heart stuttered in pain, knowing I was lying to him. I slipped out of the room, walking quickly.

_Good, stand by the ring._

I walked down the steps, staring at the Ring of the Ancestors. I didn't believe this would be helpful, until the sirens started wailing.

"Off-world activation!" the tech's voice echoed.

"Shield up!" Elizabeth's voice rang as she, Ronon, Rodney and John ran in from her office.

"I can't! The Wraith sent some sort of virus!"

_Go through the Ring, Teyla._

I took a deep breath, no one noticing me until I was a foot from the Ring.

"Teyla!" Ronon's voice boomed, slicing though the other mindless noise. I turned, and my heart hurt again at the fear and horror on his face and in his eyes. I tried to convey with my eyes that I was sorry and that it was for the best.

"Teyla, please, don't!"

I stepped through the Ring, the last thing I saw was Ronon's tortured face.

The other side was far less welcoming than Atlantis. Two Wraith were standing before me and I knew immediately that neither were the Wraith that spoke in my mind. Before I could think, one of the soldiers pulled out a stunner. I fell to the floor before I could say a word.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Finally wrapping this up.**

I woke in a cell. Waking up in Wraith prison cells was a habit I wished to break. My head was still pounding and my thoughts were disorganized. The Wraith was still toying with me. There was a particularly hard tug and I slipped unconscious once more.

My mind was clearer when I woke again. Shockingly clear actually. I pulled myself up off of the floor and fell as if I was suddenly dunked in ice. I was at the foot of what could only be described as the Wraith's throne.

"Teyla," he greeted me. I glared up at him. "Not feeling very friendly?" He tickled my mind and I shuddered. "Let me show you something I witnessed earlier today." With that, he slammed into me. I tried not to scream, but to fight, but I was already consumed.

_I was standing on the bridge of a Wraith ship, staring down at Atlantis. Missiles were raining down on the city. Within seconds, Atlantis was nothing but a cloud of black smoke._

I came back to myself on the floor of the throne room. I screamed, "NO!"

_Ronon, Ronon, Ronon…_

"I'll give you time to mourn," he said cruelly and his guards came in, and dragged me back to the cell. I sat in the corner, back defiantly straight. I didn't want to believe that Atlantis was gone, that Ronon was gone. If this Wraith could venture into my mind, it was possible that he could project things, was it not? Still, there was this horrible feeling that he might have been showing me the truth. I clenched my teeth and refused to let myself cry. I had to escape and find out for sure.

I tried a day to keep my mind pleasantly clear in case the Wraith was poking around. When the guard opened the door to bring me food, I threw myself through. I was lucky, he didn't have time to respond before I broke his neck. Grabbing his gun, I took off down the hall. Miraculously, the Wraith hadn't yet touched my mind again.

I made it to a control panel. We were too far from Atlantis for me to know if they were alive, but I could send a message their way. I quickly included the course the ship was on, and told them I was all right for the moment.

After some searching, I found a small storage room to hide in. I knew I wouldn't have long until they noticed I was gone, so I worked on my meditation. I cleared my mind, hoping it would be harder for him to find me. I also worked on creating a shield of sorts. I wasn't powerful enough to keep him totally out, but I could slow him down.

Luckily, it was six hours until the alarms went off, letting me know that they had discovered I was not in my cell. It was only a few minutes until I felt the Wraith sweep over me, and press at me with his mind. But I was ready this time. It was like flexing a muscle, somehow I managed to keep him at bay.

I began to push back harder and surprisingly, we moved to his mind. He was too shocked to fight at first. I caught glimpses of his twisted soul and desires, perverse even to other Wraith. He struggled against me but I still saw. He was part of an offshoot group intent on reaching Earth. He had been sent to learn about us so we could be incapacitated, but he became intrigued with me and my abilities, so he deviated from his assignment. Horror coursed through me. They already had a timeline, they knew where Earth was.

He thrashed at me, but he could not take away what I'd learned. My focus was falling against his assault, and when a soldier grabbed me from behind it shattered entirely. I couldn't help but scream. He poured all the rage he felt into me, willing pain into me. I was falling unconscious in seconds.

Once again, I woke in front of the Wraith. I had no idea how long I had been out for, but it felt like a long time. He was very angry. It was like a haze of white hot energy, just his rage at my insolence to believe I had the right to escape.

A surge of pain hit me and I fell forward. He pulled it back, he was toying with me. I glared and refused to scream again. His rage built and it was difficult to breathe.

"I spared your life and this is how you repay me?" I remained silent. "But you want revenge? Angry that I killed your friends…and your love?" He grinned and I was on the floor, twisting in pain. I bit my tongue until there was the taste of blood in my mouth. I was slipping. My mind, my body, I was nearly touching death. When I was finally ready to die, it suddenly stopped. I was too weak, I could barely lift my head to look at him.

Where the Wraith had been sitting now was a slumped, decapitated body. The severed head lay feet away, and Ronon was putting his sword back into his sheath.

"Ronon," I croaked. He ran over and gently pulled me up. "Ronon, you're alive, you're alive…"

"Shh," he whispered. His voice was gruff, more than normal. "It's okay, we're here to get you out, you're safe."

My body did not want to cooperate, so Ronon had to halfway carry me through the halls. I started to lose time, and black out for minutes at a time. Between black outs, Ronon managed to get me to a jumper, and the team flew off. That was when I passed out, safely held by Ronon.

I woke in the infirmary of the Daedalus. "Ronon…"

"I'm here," came his immediate reply from next to me.

"Ronon listen, there are four other ships. I do not know how, but they know where Earth is. They are gathering to go to Earth."

"Where?" Ronon asked. He didn't ask how I knew or if I was sure, he trusted my judgment. He called John on the radio and told him the coordinated I had gleaned from the Wraith. "The Daedalus is going to drop us at Atlantis on the way to the Wraith's rally point. They're gonna meet up with the Orion and Apollo, should make it right in time." I nodded ,too tired to discuss it. "Sleep Teyla, I'll be here when you wake up." I fell asleep with his hand clutched in mine.

Under normal circumstances, I would have insisted that Ronon and I be present at the battle against the Wraith, but I was too weak to demand anything. I slept most of the next two days, and when I woke up John had joined Ronon at my bedside to tell me that the fight was over. They'd destroyed the four ships and hopefully the knowledge of Earth's location. They put out sensors to let them know if any ships passed a certain point toward Earth.

Elizabeth unofficially had me take time off, time that Ronon just happened to spend with me. We were spending an evening meditating in my room when Ronon leaned over and kissed me. I was so shocked that it actually took me a second to kiss him back. After that, it took him only a week to tell me he loved me.

It was actually surprisingly easy to hide our relationship from Elizabeth and the rest of Atlantis. Many of them already believed we were a couple, so we just continued to deny the existing rumors. However, when I became pregnant with our daughter a year later, denying became impossible. I took time off from fieldwork and prepared for her birth. Elizabeth said that since Ronon and I weren't technically military personnel, she didn't have to reprimand or punish us, she merely would reassign me to another team after the birth.

When Calla Dex was brought into the world, I saw Ronon cry for only the second time. He held our beautiful daughter while he sat next to me and told me that his life was complete.

"I love you," he whispered to me, as he did every night before we fell asleep.

"I love you, too," I answered, like I would every night for the rest of our lifetimes.


End file.
